Receive purchase orders

  • Updated on Mar 27, 2026
  • Published on Mar 19, 2026
  • 3 minute(s) read
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Overview

When you receive a purchase order (PO), the PO is updated with a record of items you ordered and received. This helps you know when you have items that are required for a job before you schedule the job, when you haven't received items, and if there are differences between the items you ordered and the items that were delivered.

Who uses this feature

  • Managers and office employees

Feature configuration

  • Account configuration is required to use this feature. Please contact Technical Support for details.

Things to know

  • If you only have the Purchasing module enabled, the Inventory section in the navigation bar is renamed Purchasing.

  • When a bill is created after you receive a PO, the cost is reflected in the Budget vs Actual table.

    Note: To automatically create a bill when a PO is received go to SettingsA simple icon representing a settings gear. > Inventory > Configuration.

  • If you receive the error Action cancelled This action is forbidden, because it will result in negative Quantity Available for location: Warehouse and sku: ########, then the quantity available for the item is less than the amount on the PO.

    Note: If you want to allow negative quantities, go to SettingsA simple icon representing a settings gear. > Inventory > Configuration.

  • To export purchase orders or bills, you should receive a purchase order and create a bill.

  • When receiving items in a purchase order and you select Yes on the popup that asks if you want to copy the purchase order items to your invoice, the items appear on the invoice as chargeable.

  • Enabling the Option to add inventory items to invoices automatically adds your inventory items to the invoice when receiving these items for a job. Disable this option if you prefer to manually add inventory items to your job invoice to avoid getting duplicate items in your invoice.

Fully receive a purchase order

Note: When you receive a PO, the system automatically updates invoice item locations to keep job costing and inventory tracking accurate.

  1. Go to the navigation bar and click Inventory or Purchasing.

  2. From the side menu, select Purchase Orders. The Purchase Orders screen opens.

  3. Click the Sent tab.

  4. Select the PO you want to receive. The PO record opens.A cursor selecting PO to receive.

  5. On the PO record that opens, click Receive.A cursor clicking receive on the PO record.The Receive a Shipment screen opens.

  6. In the Vendor Document Number field, enter the vendor document number.

    Note: This is required for Intacct customers. If you are not using Intacct, this field is optional.

  7. (Optional) Click Choose File to attach a file related to the PO.Image showing the Vendor Invoice Details section.

  8. (Optional) Click Add item to add additional items to the receipt.

    Tip: For example, you may want to add items if a vendor substituted an item that was different from the item you ordered or a vendor sent an incorrect item that you will keep.

    Image showing how o add items.

  9. Review the PO and verify the items you received, including the quantity in the Qty Received column of the Item List table.

  10. (Optional) If you received more of an item than the quantity you ordered, enter the quantity you received.

  11. When you're finished, click Save.

Partially receive a purchase order

  1. Go to the navigation bar and click Inventory or Purchasing.

  2. From the side menu, select Purchase Orders. The Purchase Orders screen opens.

  3. Click the Sent tab.

  4. Select the PO you want to receive.

  5. On the PO record that opens, click Receive. The Receive a Shipment screen opens.

  6. Click Set Qty to Zero to set the Qty Received number to zero.

    Note: This can be useful if you only want to receive a small portion of line items. You can set the quantity to zero for all line items and then add in what you intend to receive.

  7. If what you received is less than what you have ordered in the PO, adjust this quantity in the Item List table under the Qty Received column.

    Note: The Qty Received column in the Item List table is automatically prepopulated with the quantity requested.

     A cursor adjusting the quantity of the items to receive.

  8. When you're finished, click Save. The Roll over unreceived items? pop-up window opens.

  9. To roll over the unreceived items into a new PO and fully receive the current PO, click Roll Over.

  10. To keep the unreceived items on the current PO and partially receive it, click Skip.Image showing the Roll over unreceived items? pop-up window.The Receipt screen opens. For more information, see Manage receipts.

Tip: To remove unreceived items from a PO in the Partially Received tab, select Rollover P.O. from the Actions dropdown field. Once you select Rollover P.O., the unreceived items will be added to a new PO, and the original PO will be fully received.

A cursor clicking the Rollover PO option from the Actions dropdown.

Receive purchase orders in bulk

Note: The purchase orders with serialized numbers can be received only individually.

  1. Go to the navigation bar and click Inventory or Purchasing.

  2. From the side menu, select Purchase Orders. The Purchase Orders screen opens.

  3. Click the Sent or Partially Received tab.

  4. Select the POs you want to receive.A cursor selecting POs to receive in bulk.

    Tip: If you want to receive all POs in the Sent or Partially Received status, select the checkbox at the top.

  5. When you're finished, click Receive.

  6. On the confirmation pop-up window that opens, click Yes.A cursor clicking Yes on the confirmation pop-up window.

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